Labour Councillor Geoff Lumley has submitted a motion for next week’s Full Council meeting.
He’s calling of a deferment of any decision-making on the proposed second budget review that will go before the full council next Wednesday (22nd).
This follows in the footsteps of last night’s Cabinet meeting where members voted in favour of the proposed spending review.
Cllr Lumley’s motion reads …
Council is concerned that cutting public services will have a devastating effect on the Isle of Wight.
The public sector is an integral part of the Island’s economy and Council cuts leading to a reduction in employment, together with less Council work for the local private sector, could only prove disastrous for our fragile economy.
Additionally the demographics of the Island mean that some of the cuts proposed for services to older and vulnerable people could potentially be severely detrimental.
That Council resolves:
To defer consideration of the Cabinet’s ‘Second Budget Review’ recommendations (option 2 in the Cabinet paper, 14.09.2010) for one month whilst it makes real, meaningful and strenuous efforts (involving the Island’s MP) to persuade the coalition government that 25%+ cuts in our local public services will have a highly destructive effect on the local economy and our vulnerable population.
It will be very interesting to see what sort of response he will receive to this motion.
